James j



' -(No Model.)

v J. J. PINNEYi AUTOMATIC FLUID PRESSURE BRAKE,

No. 595,706. Patented Dec. 21, 1897.

NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JAMES J. FINNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH H. CHANDLER, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC FLUID-PRESSURE BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,706, dated December 21, 1897.

Application filed April 27, 1896.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES J. FINNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fluid-Pressure Brakes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to the quick-acting valve mechanism usually employed in connectionwith or adjacent to the triple valve for causing free or abnormal exhaust of trainpipe pressure at each triple valve, whereby the passage between the brake-cylinder and auxiliary reservoir is opened to its maximum capacity and the brakes instantly applied with full force; and my invention is designed as an improvement on the principle of that class of said devices such as is shown in my United States Patent No. 547,484, issued October 8, 1895, in which the pressure is exhausted directly into the atmosphere as contradistinguished from those which exhaust from the train-pipe info the brake-cylinder.

In my said prior device the emergency exhaust-valve (the valve which opens in the vicinity of each triple valve for permitting abnormal exhaust or reduction of train-pipe pressure) is normally open tothe atmosphere, but the untimely venting of the train-pipe pressure therethrough is prevented by the main slide-valve, which cuts offcommunication between the emergency exhaust-port and the train-pipe until the engineers valve has been turned to the position of emergency application, which induces the main abutment or piston to shift the main slide-valve to a position which brings about exhaust directly from the train pipe into the atmosphere through the emergency-valve and also effects the closing of the emergency-valve by the train-pipe .pressure as the latter is again raised.

My present invention operates on a principle which is substantially the reverse of this;

and it has for its primary object to open the emergency exhaust-valve directly to the atmosphere independently of the triple valve by pressure accumulated from the train-pipe and preponderating over the latter when abnormal reduction in the train pipe is ex- Serial No. 589,225. (No model.)

hausted for the purposeof emergency application and to close such emergency-valve or to control the closing thereof by permitting the said opening-pressure behind it to exhaust, thereby holding the emergency exhaust-port open until sufficient train-pipe reduction has taken place to effect the actuation of the triple valves to the emergency-application position independently of anymovement as a condition precedent on the part of the triple valve or its piston.

My invention also has for its object to improve the construction of the valve mechanism of fluid-pressu re brakes,whereby the same is simplified and rendered more durable.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are accomplished, all as fully explained with reference to the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved valve mechanism, showing the parts in release position. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan View of the slide-valve.

In carrying out my invention I expose or subject the emergency exhaust-valve to trainpipe pressure on both sides, so that under normal conditions this valve will be balanced by such pressure, the difference in pressure occasioned in the train-pipe by service stops being compensated for by providing the valve with differential areas, the larger area being on the side next the train-pipe, or by subjecting it on such side to the action of a spring of sufficient tension to cause a pressure approximately equal to the reduction in the train-pipe produced by service application, the preponderance of pressure of course being preferably toward the valve-seat, so as to prevent leakage under normal conditions, and to accomplish this I store up pressure on one side of the emergency exhaust-valve from the train-pipe in some suitable chamber or haust-valve for forcing the latter from its seat as soon as the train-pipe pressure has been abnormally reduced.

In an application filed contemporaneously herewith and which contains the generic claims to my invention, of which the form' shown herein is a species, I have shown an arrangment by which the emergency exhaustvalve is unseated bytrain-pipe pressure communicatin g therewith at a point-between the triple-valve piston and the auxiliary reservoir; but in the present form of my invention the train-pipe pressure for unseatin g the emergency-valve is stored up in a separate or independent reservoir or chamber which has no direct connection with the triple-valve chamber or with the auxiliary reservoir, but which is in permanent communication directly with the train-pipe.

1 represents the triple-valve casin g, having the piston-chamber 2, containing the main piston or abutment 3 and communicating with the train-pipe i. 5 represents the passage which leads from the auxiliary reservoir into the slide-valve chamber 6, containing the slide-valve '7, and 8 is the passage which leads to the brake-cylinder and communicates with the slide-valve chamber 6 and brake-port 9, formed through the valve-seat of the bushing 10. 11 represents the exhaust-port in said bushing 10, which is placed in communication with the brake-port 9 when the parts are in the release position by means of the usual valve-cavity 12, formed in the slide-valve 7, the exhaust-port 11 being in communication with a passage 13, formed around the bushing 10 and communicating with the outletport 14, as shown in Fig. 2. All of these parts may be of the usual or any suitable construction.

The triple-valve casing 1 is provided with a special chamber 15, which is preferably formed integrally therewith and which constitutes the aforesaid chamber for storing pressure from the train-pipe for use in opening the emergency exhaust-valve 16. Below the chamber 15 is formed achamber17,which accommodates the valve 16 and also constitutes a drip-chamber, and which is closed atthe bottom bya screw-cap 18 of sufficient size to permit the valve 16 to be inserted through the bottom opening closed thereby. The chamber 15 is provided with an opening into the chamber 17, and consequently into the train-pipe; but this opening is closed by the upper end of the valve 16, which is in the form of a piston 19 and which is continually exposed to the pressure in the chamber 15. The other or under side of the valve 16 is provided with a conical enlargement 20,which closes one or more exhaust-ports 21, leading directly intothe atmosphere from the trainpipe. Interposed between the screw-cap 18 and the under side of the valve 16 is a spring 22, which exerts a normal tendency to force the valve 16 to its seat and close the ports 21. This spring preferably surrounds a stem 23,

formed on the under side of the valve, and is housed within a sleeve 24, formed on the upper side of the cap 18. By this means the tension of the spring may be adjusted.

When the parts are in the release position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the train-pipe is feeding into the auxiliary reservoir through the feed-passage 25, the train-pipe pressure also enters the chamber 15 through a bypass passage which is preferably formed directly through the valve 16,as shown at 26,and which is of such small capacity or area as to prevent the pressure in the chamber 15 instantly seeking equilibrium within the pressure in the train-pipe should the latter be suddenly reduced, and consequently in the event of such reduction in the train-pipe the tendency of the pressure in the chamber15 is to unseatthe valve 16 and throw open the emergency exhaust-valve 21; but in order that the reduction in the train-pipe occasioned by service application of the brakes may not have this effect on the valve 16 the spring 22 isprovided; but it is quite evident that the same result might be accomplished, and, in fact, is accomplished to a degree by the differential areas of the Valve 16, the larger area being exposed directly to the train-pipe pressure, while the smaller area or piston 19 is exposed to indirect pressure through the by-pass 26. hen this reduction for service application of the brakes occurs, the piston 3 shifts the slide-valve 7 and brings the service-application port 27 into coincidence with the brakecylinder port 9, the valve 16 remaining in the position shown in Fig. 1; but should the engineers valve be thrown to a position of emergency application, causing an abnormal reduction in the trainpipe, the sudden rush of the pressure in the chamber 15 to equalize with the reduced pressure in the train-pipe will unseat the valve 16 because of the incapacity of the by-pass 26 to permit of the exhaustion of the contents of the chamber 15 as rapidly as the exhaustion takes place in the train-pipe, and consequently the train-pipe is thrown open through the exhaust-port 21 directly to the atmosphere, and sufficient exhaust is caused in the vicinity of each triple valve to induce the pistons thereof to pull the slide-valves back entirely from over the brakecylinder port 9 and permit the pressure to enter the brake-cylinder to the full capacity of such port 9. The emergency exhaustvalve 16 remains open, permitting exhaust from the train-pipe directly into the atmoswaters of condensation in the train-pipe and other passages in the system, and for the relief of this special drain-cocks are provided -'at intervals; but these, beyond being objectionable because of their non-automatic character, are often broken OE and rendered inoperative by incompetent or careless attendants. lVith my drip-chamber 17, arranged, as shown, at a point below the train-pipe, the waters of condensation will be collected therein, and when the emergency-valve 16 is thrown open such water will be expelled through the exhaust-ports 21, which are also below the level of the train-pipe, by first the downward and then the upward rush of air, and this operation may be performed by the engineer at any other time, thus clearing out the entire system by one and the same operation of the engineers valve.

In my said prior application I have also shown, described, and claimed certain improvements in the slide-valve mechanism, which I will now explain. The slide-valve 7 is provided with a transverse mortise 28, in which is located a cup or yoke 29, formed on one end of the piston-stem 30., while the end of the slide-valve is provided with a longitudinal mortise 31, into which the piston-stem 30 is dropped. The graduating-valve 32 has its end located in said cup or yoke 29 and is loosely connected therewith by a pin 33, passing through such yoke and the usual slot in the valve 32. By this means the piston-stem is loosely connected to both the slide-valve 7 and the graduating-valve 32, and such con nections are independent of each other,whereby the strain on the pin 33 resulting from the friction of the valve 7 is avoided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A valve mechanism for fluid-pressure brakes having in combination a train-pipe, an air-storing chamber independent of and disconnected with the triple-valve mechanism, a passage leading into said chamber from 2. A valve mechanism for fluid-pressure brakes having in combination a train-pipe,

an emergency exhaust-valve for discharging directly from the train-pipe, a piston for controlling said valve, said valve and piston being subjected on opposite sides to direct and indirect train-pipe pressure, and an atmospheric exhaust-port closed by said valve and being located below the level of the train-pipe whereby when the valve is opened by an excessive reduction of pressure in the trainpipe, the train-pipe will be drained of the waters of condensation, substantially as set forth.

3. A valve mechanism for fluid-pressure brakes, having in combination a train-pipe, an air-storing chamber independent of and disconnected with the triple-valve mechanism, a passage leading into said chamber from the train-pipe, a piston fitting in and closing said passage and having a laterally-projecting conical flange constituting a valve, a valve-seat surrounding said passage andhaving exhaust-ports formed therein and adapted to be closed by said conical valve, said chamber being closed save for a restricted by-pass passage whereby the pressure therein will unseat said valve, and a spring for seating said valve, substantially as set forth.

JAMES J. FINN EY. 

